Newt Gingrich Wanted an Open Marriage, Claims His Ex-Wife

It's a big day in the GOP primary. Rick Perry, once perceived as a conservative savior has dropped out after one of the most hilariously horribly run candidacies of all time. Meanwhile, Rick Santorum has been revealed as the real winner of the Iowa Caucus. And yet, probably the juiciest news comes from reports that Newt Gingrich's ex-wife will tells ABC News tonight that Gingrich wanted an "open marriage," which ... hahahahahahaha, what an asshole.

Gingrich used to be married to Marianne Gingrich (the two met and started an affair while Gingrich was married to his first wife, who was suffering from cancer at the time). As the cover of this week's Ustells us, cheaters never really reform, and during his marriage to Marianne he began a six-year affair with a Capitol Hill staffer, Callista Bisek. She was 23 years his junior, and Gingrich kept up the affair while he was investigating the circumstances of President Clinton's oral affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Marianne found out, and she tells ABC News that Gingrich tried to save the marriage by suggesting an open marriage. From the LA Times:

"I said to him, 'We've been married a long time.' And he said, 'Yes, but you want me all to yourself,' " Marianne Gingrich told the network.

She said her husband responded that the other woman "doesn't care what I do."

"He was asking to have an open marriage and I refused," she said. "That is not a marriage."

We're not one to judge open marriages when both sides are in agreeance, but it sounds like Newt has a habit of carrying on open marriages anyway and not letting his better halves know until a few years later.

Gingrich started divorce proceedings shortly after Marianne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He's now married to his then-side piece, Callista.

Of course, Gingrich is a vocal opponent of gay marriage and has called it an "aberration."

Meanwhile, on the other end of the tip, Rick Santorum is going around claiming that the only woman he's ever even sat on a couch with is his wife, which is just sad for completely different reasons.

Santorum's idea of swinging is probably two couples getting together for board game night, and switching partners for Pictionary.